Computer Systems

Types of Degrees Computer Systems Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many computer systems analysis graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,092
Graduate Certificate	179
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Computer Systems Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to computer systems and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Computer Systems Majors

Computer Systems majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Skills for Computer Systems Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to computer systems:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Computer Systems Majors

As a computer systems major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Computer Systems Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with computer systems:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Computer Network Architects	6.5%	$109,020
Computer Network Support Specialists	8.2%	$62,770
Computer Science Professors	8.1%	$82,220
Computer Systems Analysts	9.1%	$88,740

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Computer Systems?

This major attracts more men than women. About 65% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of computer systems majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	54
Black or African American	23
Hispanic or Latino	93
White	120
International Students	786
Other Races/Ethnicities	16

Geographic Diversity

Computer Systems appeals to people across the globe. About 72.0% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computer Systems

Some careers associated with computer systems require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to computer systems have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.8%
Some College Courses	6.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	15.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	32.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	6.3%
Master’s Degree	21.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.1%
Doctoral Degree	9.4%

Online Computer Systems Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	19	5
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	26	8
Bachelor’s Degree	7	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	14	3
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Computer Systems

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to computer systems.

Major	Number of Grads
Computer Information Systems	105,098
Computer Science	72,693
Information Technology	46,791
Information Science	20,202
Computer Software & Applications	14,684
Computer Systems Networking	13,734
Computer Programming	12,983
Other Computer & Information Sciences	2,000
Data Processing	1,927
Data Entry	542

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Louv under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.